PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Mayor Brett Smiley was joined by city leaders, the Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, and FirstWorks on Wednesday to announce the first performers for this year’s PVDFest.
The annual celebration of the capital city’s art and culture will take place on Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, in downtown Providence. This year’s PVDFest will feature performances from New Orleans bounce icon Big Freedia, Grammy-winning Fox Point native Butch Tavares and New York salsa band La Excelencia.
Organizers also announced the winner of the PVDFest 2026 x Boston Globe Rhode Island poster art contest, 2013 RISD graduate Rebecca Pry, and the festival’s grand marshals: Tavares, longtime Providence cultural leader and event producer Rommel Montes de Oca, and Providence Teacher of the Year Danielle Lucini.
This year, the city is offering a preview of the festival on Saturday, June 27, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the PVD FanZone in Station Park…